Improvement in wagon-bodies



B. RANKIN.

WAGON BODIES.

No. 179,344, Patented June 2,7,14876.

g Q E I f y R T6 6 5 i al L I: i %Y 1 I E E I: 0 t i f O I 0 MW 21' IMd! d I M1 h M r. i HI H1 5 \wmuissismon- ATTORNEYS.

NJETERS. PHDTO-LITHOGRAPNER WASHINGTON, D. C.

' tion.

a ZED BENJAMIN RANKIN, OF JEFFERSON VILLE, 'OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN WAGON-BODIES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 179,344, dated J une27, 1876; application filed April 25, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN RANKIN, M. D., of J efi'ersonville, in thecounty of Fayette and State of Ohio, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in VVagon-Body, of which the following is a specification:

Figure l is a side view of my improved wagon-body. Fig. 2 is a top viewof the same, part being broken away to show the construc- Fig. 3 is avertical cross-section of the same, taken through the line so 00,Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an end View of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to furnish an improved wagon-body, whichshall be so con structed that it will be held firmly in place,

and together, may be readily attached and de-' tached when desired maybe snugly packed for storage, and will allow the rear end boards to bedetached without loosening'the other parts. The invention consists,mainly, in the combination of the bolts, the T-bars, having the lowerside of one arm inclined, the hookbars, the connecting-rods, and thehook-bolts and lever-nuts with the bottom boards, the oross-bars,theside boards, and the end boards as hereinafter fully described.

A are the bottom boards, which rest upon the cross-bars B, and thecentral one of which is riveted to said cross-bars. To the ends of thecross-bars B, at the edges of the outer bottom boards A, are attachedbolts 0, to the heads of which are pivoted the lower ends of thecross-head or T-bars D. One arm of the T-hars D is inclined upon itslower side, and rests upon the hooks formed upon the lower ends of thebars E attached to the side boards F. The T-bars D are connected by rodsG, and with the forward T-bar is connected a bolt, H, which passesthrough the projecting end of the forward end board I, and has alever-nut, h, screwed upon it. The arm of the rear T-bar D has a bolt,J, connected with it, which passes through the projecting end of thesmall rear end board K, and has a levernut, j screwed upon it. By thisconstruction,

if the nuts j are tightened the side boards F are drawn down against thebottom boards A, and the end boards I K are drawn against the ends ofthe side board F, making the body close and firm. At a little distancein front of the small end board K is placed the true end board L, thelower part of the ends of which rest against cleats attached to the sideboards F, and the upper parts of its ends project across and restagainst shoulders formed upon the upper rear parts of the said sideboards F. The end board L has small levers M pivoted to its uppercorners, which levers have projections formed upon them to enter holesin the side boards F when turned down, and look the said end board inplace. Upon the topof the rear T-bar D are formed ratchetteeth toreceive the engaging end of the pawl O, the other end of which ispivoted to the side board F. The pawls 0 hold the remaining parts of thebody together when the rear end boards L K are removed. To the bolts 0are pivoted eccentric levers P, so that, should the bottom boards Ashrink, they may be turned against their outer edges and press themtogether. The side bottom boards are kept from slipping forward byhalf-keepers Q attached to them, and which hook upon one of thecross-bars B, and are kept from slipping back by blocks 1% attached tothem, and which rest against the small end board K. S are the sideboards of the top box, to the upper edges ofthe forward ends of whichare attached hooks T, which hook over the top edge of the forward endboard I. To the sides of the rear ends of the side boards S are attachedbolts U, which pass through the projecting end of theend board V, andhave hand-nuts n screwed upon them. To the end board V is attached ahook-bar, W, which hooks into a keeper, X, attached to the end board L.To the inner sides of the middle parts of the side boards F are attachedbars Y, the lower ends of which enter holes in the side bottom boards Aand the middle cross-bar B. To the upper ends of the bars Y are attachedeyebolts G, to receive the ends of the rods Z, which also pass througheyes A attached to the side boards v S. The upper parts of the rods Zare bent inward, and are connected by a long nut, B, which is swiveledto one of said ends, and screws upon the other. This construction holdsthe side boards S in place, and prevents them from being spread apart bythe load. The rear end of the middle bottom board A may project to serveas a rest for one f'oot when beginning to shovel out a load. When theloads are to be dum pod, the side bottom boards A are removed and-arereplaced by. others, which are made of such a length as to reach to butnot beneath the end board K, and have grooves across their upper sidesto receive the lower edge of the end board L to keep them from slipping.The wagon is unloaded, when this set of bottom boards is used, by takingout the end board L, and raising the rear ends of the bottom boards, oneat a time, which dumps the load beneath the wagon.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

described.

BENJAMIN RANKIN, M. D.

Witnesses:

A. W. BLESSING, L. D. GROW.

